Monday, November 9, 2015

My 2-Day Juice Cleanse Experience

My body didn't tell me to slow down, it screamed it at me for weeks. My busy work schedule and jam packed social calendar have really started to take a toll on my body and health lately, so I knew it was time for me to be more responsible and make better choices when it comes to food. And so I made the decision to do 2-day juice cleanse and jump start this healthier lifestyle that I'm aiming for.I've been interested in juicing ever since I watched Jason Vale's Super Juice Me documentary many months ago, but I've just never put a few days aside to actually do a cleanse. Until this past weekend.I've been meaning to buy my own juicer, but I discovered a juice shop called Juicy Diary here in Taipei that delivers fresh cold-pressed juices right to your doorstep. So I went on their website and picked a 2-day juice cleanse set, and it was delivered to me on Friday evening. Very convenient!

Okay, so how does it work? Each day I was to drink one juice every two hours, totaling six juices for the day, and twelve juices for the weekend. They also recommend drinking a lot of water, some herbal teas and lemon water throughout the cleanse. As for food, if you want to do the cleanse properly, you really shouldn't eat anything, but alas, I prepared a fridge full of fresh fruit and vegetables anyway, just in case I got really hungry. I mean, I'm not trying to starve myself here, I just needed a health kick.So this is what went down during my 2-day juice cleanse journey:Day 1 (Saturday):8am - Water with fresh lemonI woke up refreshed, excited, and energetic. I've never done a juice cleanse before, and I've never gone two days without eating solid foods, but I was up for the challenge, and ready to take this giant step towards a healthier lifestyle. I drank a Mason jar of water with fresh lemons to kick-start my detox, and then I took Toby out for a 20-minute walk.

9am - Juice #1 GREENSIngredients: Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut WaterWe were off to a rough start, as I really didn't like the overwhelming taste of celery in this juice. I just closed my eyes, tried not to breathe through my nose, and drank it as fast as I could. Maybe I'm just being a little dramatic now, but it wasn't my favorite out of the bunch. 11am - Juice #2 ROOTSIngredients: Pineapple, Carrot and GingerThis one was absolutely delicious and by far my favorite juice out of all the juices this weekend. If I could, I'd drink this juice every day for the rest of my life. It was sweet and yummy and totally made up for Juice #1.By this time I was thinking about my regular morning ritual; a cup of coffee. Damn, I really craved it! Even though I only have one cup (maaayyybe two cups) a day, I missed it terribly. I did a light 20-minute workout, vacuumed the house and did a load of laundry to take my mind off of the coffee craving.

1pm - Juice #3 CITRUSIngredients: Pineapple, Cucumber, Lemon, Apple, Mint and Chia SeedsThis juice tasted fine, but didn't blow my hair back. Around this time I was starting to feel hungry and sluggish. I watched some TV and ended up passing out on the couch for an hour and a half.3pm - Juice #4 ROOTSIngredients: Beets, Pineapple and LemonAnother fabulous juice! Delicious and sweet. Around this time I started getting a dull headache, which I assumed was from not having my daily caffeine fix, or from the detoxing process. I went out with The Husband for a walk, but the headache kept lingering.5pm - Juice #5 CITRUSIngredients: Apple, Pear, Kiwi, Lemon and CeleryLuckily the celery wasn't as prominent in this one, perhaps the apple influenced that. It was definitely much better than Juice #1. My headache got worse though, which made me feel horrible, as I couldn't focus on anything.7pm - Juice #6 NUTSIngredients: Almond, Dates, Vanilla, Mineral Water, Sea SaltI had no idea what to expect from this one, I mean, never in my life have I had a nut-flavored juice. It was surprisingly delicious, and one of my favorites this weekend. It was a much thicker consistency than the others, and actually felt more like a meal. It definitely made me feel "full".

Overall Day 1 experience:

I truly thought I'd be way hungrier than what I was. I guess the nutrients in the juices satisfied my body, so I didn't feel like I was starving. I did crave my daily coffee, and thought about eating some fruit which I'd bought "for in case". I didn't end up eating any though. I drank A LOT of water throughout the day, too.I was home by myself for most of the day, which I assume made this process easier. I can't imagine having to watch The Husband scarf down on some solids while I was sipping on a juice. I was quite sluggish and, apart from taking a couple of walks and doing some light exercises and housework, I spent most of my day on the couch.In general, it was a good day, but the headaches really ruined it for me. I had so many things planned to keep myself busy this weekend, but the throbbing in my head was so bad that I couldn't read anything or watch TV for most of the day. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to sleep. I was in bed by 9pm! Day 2 (Sunday):8am - Water with fresh lemonI literally jumped out of bed with glee when I realized that my headache was gone. I guess that's what eleven hours of uninterrupted sleep would do to a person. (The Husband went away for the night with some friends, so the house was quiet.) I had water with lemon again, and took Toby out for a 30-minute walk in the park.9am - Juice #1 GREENSIngredients: Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut WaterBleh! This is exactly the same juice as Day 1's first juice. Again, I just closed my eyes and finished it as fast as I could. I didn't crave coffee as much this morning, but I definitely thought about it.11am - Juice #2 ROOTSIngredients: Carrot, Pineapple and GingerAgain, this was the same one as Day 1's second juice. No complaints, because I absolutely loved that one. I felt great and did a 20-minute workout at home, did some housework and got ready for the day.1pm - Juice #3 CITRUSIngredients: Apple, Lemon, Kiwi, Celery and GingerThis juice was okay, neither great nor terrible. I felt a slight headache creeping up on me again, which was annoying, so I took a 45-minute nap which definitely helped.3pm - Juice #4 ROOTS Ingredients: Beets, Pineapple and LemonAlso the same as Day 1's fourth juice, which made me happy. I enjoyed it so much! I read my book and watched some TV shows, which kept me occupied for most of the afternoon.

5pm - Juice #5 GREENSIngredients: Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut WaterDamn! Another one! It took me a while to finish this juice, as I really wasn't feeling the celery. I forced it down while doing some online shopping, because it took my mind off of the taste. (There's always an excuse to do online shopping!) I took Toby out for a 20-minute walk and kept myself busy with things around the house.7pm - Juice #6 NUTSIngredients: Almond, Dates, Cacao, Mineral Water and Sea SaltAnd so, it was time for the last juice of the weekend, ending my 2-day juice cleanse. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the cacao made it taste like a thick chocolate shake, and was glad to end the cleanse on a high note.

The Day After (Monday)Overall experience and final thoughtsDoing the 2-day juice cleanse was fairly easy (easier than what I had anticipated). I wasn't as hungry as I thought I'd be, I didn't experience any mood swings and I didn't feel nauseous. But, I didn't have a lot of energy and suffered really bad headaches throughout the weekend, which was awful.After two days of juicing, I felt like I was only getting started and could have continued only drinking juices for probably a couple more days. So next time I'd like to try a 5-day juice cleanse. Yep, already thinking about "next time". I've decided to go ahead and purchase my own juicer, to incorporate juices into my daily life.I feel pretty good today, and didn't drink any coffee. I ate some oatmeal for breakfast and just had rice, vegetables and meat for lunch. I do still have a slight headache, but other than that, I have plenty of energy.I'd recommend a juice cleanse to anyone who feels like they just need that extra something to help kick-start a healthier lifestyle. If drinking nothing but juice for a few days scare you too much, you can incorporate some fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, just having one juice a day is already a big step in the right direction.My tips for when you decide to embark on a juice cleanse:

Don't make any plans to leave the house, trust me, you are going to want to be close to your bathroom.

Don't plan on doing much, you are likely to feel sluggish, especially in the afternoon.

Make sure you have some fresh fruit and veg in your house for in case you really need to eat something.

If you don't live by yourself, encourage the rest of your household to join you in the juice cleanse.

Let me know if you have any questions about the cleanse, you can also email me at liesl@pretty-random-things.com

Have you ever done a juice cleanse, what was your experience? Or have you thought about doing it?

That's exactly why I did it over a weekend! I can't imagine having to work while on a cleanse. Not only do you have to make frequent bathroom visits, but I also couldn't really focus on tasks and felt so lethargic. Definitely do it over a weekend of when you have a break from work! Good luck :-)

See i'd love to do this but i am always on the go so i cant be near the bathroom at all times lol. guess ill try it a little more down the road. thanks for the detailed review tho!XO Ellen from Ask Awaywww.askawayblog.com

Juicing used as detoxing has really been a hit in the past years. With all the accumulated toxins that we have in our body its only right that we detoxify. Juice cleansing can really do good in our body, just like the testimonials here about juicing.

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About Me

I'm Liesl, a 31-year old South African, living and working in Taipei City, Taiwan. This is my little online world where I share all the things I love and feel passionate about. From traveling the world to fashion, beauty and my everyday life in Asia; you'll find it all here. You're welcome to snoop around, I encourage it! ♥